the ivory tower is coming down

I swear I never dream that we're alone

It felt like drowning, to stare so deeply into the sea, and only when Remi's hands came to clasp at his cheeks did Ronin realise that his eyes were wet with tears, too. He didn't want to look up at his husband, didn't want the comfort of his touch even though it was something he had desperately sought out. Shame and guilt vibrated through their mental link, and Ronin lifted his gaze reluctantly, showing Remi the storm that danced behind his eyes. His throat had tightened around any words he wanted to say, and whilst he had no idea what their tether was capable of, he only stood a chance of explaining things through that bond.

A rough, cold hand came up to rest over one of Remi's, and the Dark Star hitched in a breath. Don't be kind to me. I don't deserve it, he said, his mental voice no less tumultuous than his exterior.

Safrin woke me... I went to the lighthouse. A star fell... He shook his head, as if he still didn't believe it, and images of the encounter flashed through his mind, along with the horror and grief of what had come with it. She said I have a daughter. Another one. And she handed her to me to take care of.

But oh, it was so much more than that, and the floodgates were open to Remi and any other poor Attuned in the area. It felt like his chest was caving in, like Aoife was dead, small and frail on the sand all over again, but Ronin wasn't allowed to break this time.

the dark star